Rick Perry took an awkward situation involving his wife’s abortion beliefs and made it offensive. In an interview with the Texas Tribune (see above), Perry’s wife Anita made it clear that she does not personally support abortion, and she does support the restrictive abortion law signed by Governor Perry (and famously filibustered by State Senator Wendy Davis), but she also believes that it’s a woman’s choice whether she wants to have an abortion or not.

“I see it as a woman’s right,” Anita Perry told the Tribune. “If they want to do it that’s their decision. They have to live with that decision.”

The Tribune interviewer, editor-in-chief Evan Smith, sought to clarify that statement, saying he “wanted to make sure [Ms. Perry] didn’t just make news.”

“Your personal point of view is that it’s a person’s decision within the law to make that choice?” Smith asked.

“I don’t really think that’s making news. I mean, yeah, that could be a woman’s right, just like it’s a man’s right if he wants to have some kind of procedure.”

Many blogs and news sources picked up on the quote (they disagreed with Anita Perry that it wasn’t news), because if nothing else, it’s surprising that the wife of staunchly anti-abortion Rick Perry is ultimately pro-choice.

Rick Perry spoke about his wife’s statements at an event for New Jersey Republican Senate nominee, Steve Lonegan.

“From time to time we’ll stick the wrong word in the wrong place, and you pounce upon it,” said Governor Perry, in regards to his wife’s abortion statements. Yes, Perry is saying that his wife doesn’t believe in a woman’s right to choose and that she simply misspoke. Read or watch Anita Perry’s statements one more time and ask yourself if there is any possible way she could have simply chosen the wrong word to give the impression that she is pro-choice, but really she is not.

Having a pro-choice wife is very awkward for Rick Perry, but if he had handled this better, it could have helped his brand. “Sure, we have our disagreements, but we still love each other,” plays a whole lot better in 2013 than, “that’s not what my wife thinks. I’ll tell you what my wife thinks.”

Question for Rick Perry: did you not know that your wife is pro-choice, or do you not believe in a woman’s right to choose her opinions?